Berserk 29
September 10, 2009
Kentaro Miura – Dark Horse – 2009 – 33+ volumes
I know I’ve probably mentioned this a lot, but Miura’s artwork is nothing short of astounding. In this volume, I frequently had to stop and marvel over single page illustrations or double page spreads where a sweeping panoramic view of a city or ballroom was drawn with every single brick in place and no less than 100 people (I just counted) drawn in. Granted, some of those people are indistinct silhouettes in the background, and the vast majority are drawn without faces, but most of the people are also drawn with detailed formal clothing that’s different for each person. The man can draw horrible monsters and eyeballs flying out of split skulls, but he can also draw ballroom scenes with equal love and care, it seems.
I liked Isidro’s epic pirate fight at the beginning of the volume. He tried so hard for Schierke, and it was nice of her to acknowledge him. I also liked that the Captain Hook-looking man called Isidro’s weakness out – that he doesn’t fight with the intention of killing his opponent. Isidro realizes at the beginning of the fight that he’s never drawn blood on another person before. I kind of don’t want to see Isidro become a battle-hardened warrior like Guts, but on the other hand, he wants to be one so bad that it tortures him.
Farnese and her troubles take up most of the second half of the volume. I guess the fact that she was useless was the point, because it has come up a few times in the past, and now she is separated from the group and everyone is regretting that she’s not around to cook and watch Casca. She’s also been bonding with Schierke, which I kind of don’t like. Admittedly, I’ve gotten used to her. I still think she’s kind of useless, but she’s a good member of the party, and does help fill out the group of women and children that stand in sharp contrast to Guts’… er, whole persona.
At any rate, I’m reading volume 30 tonight. I am addicted.
